Our 'Sharing our experience' booklets help you
plan, build and manage cost-effective low carbon buildings that
really work to save you money and carbon. They provide advice and
tips covering the key parts of low carbon buildings and their
delivery.
The insights are based on real data from 28 case studies from
the Department of Energy and Climate Change's Low Carbon Buildings
Programme and our work on low carbon refurbishments. The projects
cover many sectors including retail, education, offices and mixed
use residential buildings.
Our research shows that despite genuine intentions to develop a
low carbon building, these often fail to translate into reality.
This is caused by issues related to both the management of projects
and the technologies involved. These issues can occur at all stages
of a project, from inception to completion.
Closing the gap (CTG047) examines the gap
between design predictions and real performance of low carbon
buildings. The booklet provides advice and tips on the right
approach to building design, project management and operation to
enable a low carbon building to deliver on its expectations and to
save you money when running your building.
Key Technologies and Best Practice
Risk management
Our research found that risk management, the process of
identifying and then actively managing risk for projects with the
aim of making the project more likely to succeed, was a key issue
in low carbon buildings.
So, based on real data from our case studies, the key risks
associated with low carbon buildings have been identified and are
set out in the attached tool in the form of a typical project Risk Register spreadsheet (.xls, 500KB).
Within the register an indicative assessment has been made
together with some key recommendations for mitigation. The
mitigations are for guidance only and you must consider bespoke
risks relevant to your project and also the specific mitigation
plans.
Commissioning building
systems
Making buildings work (CTG051) gives
guidance on effective commissioning. Commissioning, the
process of ensuring that the building is operating as required, is
vitally important for achieving low carbon buildings. Poor
commissioning could turn a low energy design into a high
energy-consuming finished project.
Metering and monitoring systems
It
is very important to track the energy used in a building. Green gauges (CTG037) shares lessons learned
from installing metering and monitoring systems in low carbon
buildings.
Control systems
Building controls are a key element in operating
buildings efficiently, but if they aren't set up right or are not
understood by the users they can lead to wasted energy. Taking control (CTG052) shares insights from
our case studies.
Natural ventilation
Naturally ventilated buildings use less energy than
mechanically ventilated equivalents. A natural choice (CTG048) explains
different natural ventilation strategies and when they might
be appropriate.
Retrofitting renewables
Power play (CTG050) gives guidance on applying
renewable energy technologies to existing buildings.
Ground source heat pumps
Down to earth (CTG036) describes lessons learned
from putting ground source heat pumps into action in buildings.
Photovoltaics
A place in the sun (CTG038) provides advice and
tips on installing solar photovoltaic (solar PV) panels.
Biomass
Taking the heat (CTG061)
provides advice on how to make material carbon savings and
potentially reduce heating costs.
Managing refurbishments
Low carbon refurbishment of buildings: management
guide (CTV038) provides advice on ensuring a planned
refurbishment delivers carbon savings, in addition to meeting its
other objectives.
Building refurbishment
Refresh and reduce (CTG049) describes how to
maximise carbon savings when undertaking internal
refurbishments.
Low carbon buildings
procurement & specification
Carbon Trust Scotland's 'Delivering
the future, today' guides have been drawn up to help you with the
concept of delivering a low carbon new build or
refurbishment.
They set out, step-by-step, what building owners,
specifiers and designers need to do to deliver low carbon
buildings, help them to meet Carbon Reduction
Commitment targets, and make compliance with the
2010 Building Standards more cost effective to deliver.
'Delivering the future today' guides:
Executive
summary - Delivering the future, today (CTG066)
Setting the
scene - Delivering the future, today (CTG067)
Project
owner's guide - Delivering the future, today (CTG068)
Project
manager's guide - Delivering the future today (CTG069)
Client values and
preparation tool (xls) - to assess the client's
preparedness to deliver a low carbon building design.
Skills
and experience tabulation contractors tool (xls) - to
assess the procurement team's knowledge and experience to produce a
low carbon impact building.
Low carbon design
tracker template (doc) - for design teams to keep
track of low carbon items. To be completed by the client/design
team for their requirements
Case studies
View a selection of video case studies on greening
buildings.